Combining supplements
My family has been taking vitamins and health supplements for some time now but we are concerned that certain vitamins should not be combined and that some natural remedies affect the action of prescribed drugs. Can you advise on this and suggest a good book to help us through the minefield?
The fact that consumers are now waking up to the fact that nutrients can work with or against each other and that herbal remedies are as potent as prescription drugs can only be a good thing. It is not, in fact, the manufacturers’ fault that their customers are not better informed because they are not allowed by law to make medicinal claims for supplements. You may buy your multivitamin from your local health store but in this country, it is being sold to you under food laws.
The legislation controlling the sale of herbal remedies is convoluted too since those that are available over-the-counter are sold under an exemption license in the ancient Medicines Act that was passed way back in the 1960s.
The point is that not being allowed to print any medicinal information has, until now, meant the labels cannot carry any medical warnings either. There has been, if you like, a collective pretence that these are not medicines, hence the ubiquitous phrase, health foods.
This will now change following a recent close call for the herb, St John’s Wort which is known as nature’s prozac, and which is commonly self-prescribed to treat mild to moderate depression. It narrowly escaped being banned here by the Medicines Control Agency which instead, said manufacturers now had to make labels which did carry a medicinal warning advising consumers to consult their doctor if there are already taking anti-coagulant drugs such as warfarin for heart disease or if they have been on the pill for several years.
Consumers for Choice (01275-852597) which lobbies in this country to protect health supplements from the threat of European laws which would severely restrict not only the number of products on sale but the combinations and the dosages you can buy over the counter, welcomed this move as paving the way for eventually printing medicinal claims on all health supplements and remedies.
Turning to the quality of your supplements, most manufacturers here work hard to maintain high standards. There are hidden costs - such as purity of the active ingredient and extensive quality testing - which make some products more expensive than others but if you buy from a well known name you should be safe.
Since you also ask about books, The Good Health Food Guide - How To Choose Health Foods and Supplements to Boost Your Health by Dr Eric Trimmer is excellent. Published by Piatkus, my copy cost £9.99. I also like a small, Canadian book called Buyer - Be Wise, The Consumer’s Guide to Buying Quality Nutritional Supplements. Written by Karolyn A. Gazella, it is published by her company, IMPAKT Communications. Contact them by email: impakt@dct.com. visit the web site at www.impakt.com or call on 001-920 434-8884.